Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

BlogFam, It is early Sunday morning! The sun is not yet shining through the clouds but today I am in a glorious mood. As I am writing, I am listening to “You Are Holy” as recorded by Bishop Paul S. Morton. Friends, I am just so grateful this morning that I have a mind to worship our God early in the morning, alone. Isn’t it such a blessing when you can wake up with worship on your mind and then you can express your adoration for the Most High through music, prayer, reading scripture, meditation, drawing, writing, singing, listening?

There are moments when I know that God calls me to a place of worship, alone. Sometimes, I have had to leave the company of family and friends because I heard that still, small voice calling me to come to Him. I have had to cut conversations short and suspend tasks because I felt impressed to be still in the presence of our God. I know that this might sound strange to some – believers and unbelievers. But that’s just God’s way with me. And that’s just my way of responding to His knock.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone HEARS my voice and OPENS the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

More often than not, our theme scripture for today is used expressly to compel those who do not know Jesus in the pardon of their sins. This scripture is used to convince those outside of the ark of safety to answer the knock of the Savior. And while I totally agree with the use of this scripture as an invitation to those who are not in fellowship with the Holy, I think it means so much more.

I have often wondered about the spiritual practices or spiritual disciplines of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. For, so many times, in our busy-ness to compel others to come, we neglect to go to the throne ourselves. It is quite disheartening to be in the company of Christians who do not pray. Unfortunately, they think that they are getting by on the prayers of yesterday when God is knocking on the door of the hearts of those who believe with a fresh word for today. And the reality is that many Christians who have responded to the initial invitation to accept Jesus as their Savior, miss the subsequent invitation to make Jesus their Lord. After our initial YES, I submit to you that the knock persists to draw you toward a deeper communion with Him.

Believers have been missing the knock, ignoring the knock, avoiding the knock for years and yet still wonder why they are not living the abundant life that they so desperately desire. Well, just as there is a decrescendo of the invitation to the unbeliever to come, there is also a decrescendo of the invitation to the believer to commune.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If ANYONE hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Jesus is knocking on the door of everybody’s heart because He just does not want to only come in, but He actually wants to stay. Unfortunately, there are too many Christians who let Jesus in but push His love to the corner or place His joy outside the door or put their faith in the attic. We keep Jesus close enough to know where He might be found but far enough away because we really do not want to change. I know you are saying, that’s not me. I love Jesus! I got to have my Jesus close to me! Really? Really? So tell me about the last time you felt the impression of the Holy upon your heart to come to worship – in private. You thought I was going straight for the public acts of service we all can brag about. Nope! Not today! When is the last time you had communion with the divine? Do you and the creator have a secret and exhilarating love affair? BE HONEST! Well, if you do not, it is NOT too late!

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If ANYONE hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

I know that for some of you, if you are truly honest with yourself - and God knows anyway – you have already experienced the great decrescendo in the still small voice inviting you to commune. Perhaps you do not know exactly when it happened but I can tell you why. The great decrescendo happens because we keep saying NO. That is the bottom line. You can blame it on life and deaths of loved ones and job situations and crazy teachers and manipulative co-workers. But at the end of the day, you still said NO. NO, I am not going to pray. Decrescendo. NO, I am skipping church today. Decrescendo. NO, I am not reading my bible. Decrescendo. NO, I refuse to forgive. Decrescendo. Need I go on and on and on?

We have all been at the place where the still small voice was simply and devastatingly just still. This is the GREAT Decrescendo: that those who say they believe Jesus as their Savior refuse to let him in to be their Lord and so over time, the invitation, the direction, the guidance, the wisdom we so desperately need seems unattainable because we know that the Spirit is knocking but we say by our actions and attitudes, YOU can’t come in!

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone HEARS my voice and OPENS the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Jesus is present.

Jesus is knocking.

If you hear Jesus knocking, open the door.

Jesus will come in.

Jesus will commune with you

Jesus is present.

Jesus is knocking.

If you hear Jesus knocking and keep the door closed,

Jesus will not come in.

Jesus will not commune with you.

My sistas and brothas, today I pray that you would invite Jesus into your heart. If you DO NOT know Jesus as your Savior, all you have to do is: Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and God raised Him from the dead. Confess Jesus as Lord of your life. AND if you DO know Jesus as your Savior but have neglected to make Him your Lord, all you have to do is: Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and God raised Him from the dead. Confess Jesus as Lord of your life. I pray that my BlogFam would not let the Great Decrescendobe the last movement in your life’s symphony. Just keep this in mind:

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I WILL COME IN and eat with that person, and they with me.

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